Fiber optic connectors are used to terminate optical fiber cables and to facilitate connection of the cables to other cables or other optic fiber transmission devices. A typical fiber optic connector includes a ferrule which mounts and centers an optical fiber or fibers within the connector. The ferrule may be fabricated, for example, from ceramic or plastic material. A ferrule holder or body member of the connector embraces the ferrule and may be fabricated of such material as molded plastic or aluminum. A spring may be disposed within the body member such that the ferrule is yieldably biased forwardly for engaging another fiber-mounting ferrule of a mating connecting device.
Connectors of the type described above are designed to terminate a relatively small number of optical fibers. For example, the so-called MPO/MTP® connector was designed to terminate up to 24 optical fibers. In practice, however, higher fiber counts are achievable using shrink tubing and other similar methods to transition larger cables into the connector. However, this does not always lead to satisfactory results. For example, current latch designs on MPO/MTP® connectors cannot withstand the required operating temperatures or pull test requirements associated with higher fiber count cables. As such, failure of the connector and/or fiber cables is more likely to occur.
Additionally, prior art connectors tend to be relatively long devices (in the axial direction of the fiber cables being terminated) due to their multiple components. For example, the spring used to forwardly bias the ferrule typically comprises a common coil spring that, in order to provide the necessary amount of biasing force, often has a relatively large axial dimension. Furthermore, in order to terminate the protective outer jacket of a fiber optic cable, thereby maintaining the cable in a fixed relationship with the connector, a crimp sleeve is typically used to provide a compression fit of the strength members and jacket around a receiving surface of the body or housing. Again, this receiving surface tends to increase the over length of the connector.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a connector for terminating high fiber count cables that does not suffer from the drawbacks described above.